The Huntsville Item, Huntsville, TX

SHSU Sports

Discussion

January 28, 2007

Goin’ Deep brings another national title back to Sam Houston State

Cody Stark

After rolling through the regular season unbeaten the Sam Houston State women’s intramural flag football squad Goin’ Deep was pretty much a lock to win their second national title at the ACIS Flag Football Championships in Florida on Dec. 31.

Goin’ Deep cruised through pool play, and when the time came to fill out the championship brackets, the other tops teams stacked one side in order to stay away from the defending champs.

With a 14-6 win over North Carolina’s Campbell and a 33-0 blasting of Central Arkansas, Goin’ Deep set up a meeting with the tournament host, Western Florida’s Next 2 None, in the championship game. But on a wet New Year’s Eve, sloppy conditions caused some turnovers and gave UWF great field position en route to a 20-0 victory.

“It was wet and that led to a couple of fumbled snaps, which backed us up,” Goin’ Deep head coach Danny Bennett said. “We had a 1-yard punt in the game and a couple of interceptions. We played great defense, but all of their scores came on good field position. They only had to go 20 or 25 yards each time they scored.”

The loss was Goin’ Deep’s first all season, but a week later, the team from SHSU had a rare opportunity — a chance to face Western Florida in another national championship game.

The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association held its own national championship tournament in Richardson on Jan. 4-6. Again Goin’ Deep rolled through pool play and opened up the playoff bracket with a 32-7 thumping of Texas State.

In the second round, Central Florida was SHSU’s next victim, and Next 2 None topped Vanderbilt to set up the championship rematch.

This time around, nothing could stop Goin’ Deep from capping off the season with their second national title in two years, as the ladies from SHSU pummeled Next 2 None 25-7 with only nine of their 15 players making the trip.

“I remember telling the team that we had a week to get ready and go back out and win a national championship,” Bennett said. “In the past, we had to wait a whole year, but because there were two championships we got another chance. Luckily we got to face Western Florida again, and this time they didn’t have an answer for us.”

Goin’ Deep got on the board on their first possession when quarterback Tabitha Brown set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to tournament most valuable player April Ward after an 18-yard strike to Jamie Tomasini.

Next 2 None answered with a touchdown on the ensuing possession, but that would the last time they found the end zone.

Goin’ Deep’s other scores came on passes from Brown to Annie Miller and Ward. The national championship victory capped off a 20-1 season.

Brown, Miller and Jessica Hatch were named to the all-tournament team.

Before the national championships, Goin’ Deep also won the Nebraska regional Nov. 16-20.

Ashley Swim, Diana Tejada, Brown, Miller and Hatch were named to the all-regional team, and Ward was named the most valuable player.

Brown, Miller, Tomasini and Ward were also named to the ACIS All-American team in Florida.

Because the cost of travel and lodgings is so expensive, the team held a successful raffle and received donations from businesses and SHSU to help them win their second national championship. Hillcrest Ford even donated a van free of charge so Goin’ Deep to go to Nebraska.

“It costs a lot of money for us to travel around the country and we would like to thank everyone who made this possible,” Bennett said. “By people helping us out, it shows how hard we work to represent the community. There are people at universities all over the country that know the name Sam Houston State because of the success we have had.”

Other Goin’ Deep team members include Samantha Edelman, Ashley Kirkland, Arica Washington, Brittani Hashaw, Kathyrn Socha, Jenny Stout, Jennifer Mathews and Chalie Dishongh.

Text Only
SHSU Sports
  • 7-29-willie-fritz-interview.jpg Time to crank it up

    Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz knew coming into the season that he was going to have his hands full turning around the Bearkats’ football program.
    The rest of the coaches in the Southland Conference apparently agree.
    Coming off a 5-6 season, a fifth-place finish in league play and the loss of 15 starters, Sam Houston State has been tabbed to finish seventh in the SLC preseason coaches’ poll, which was announced Wednesday during the Southland Conference Football Media Day at the L’Auberge du Lac Resort.

    July 28, 2010 1 Photo

  • Pitching dominates Triple-A All-Star Game

    Like the Major League All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., pitchers dominated the Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday in Allentown, Pa.

    July 14, 2010

  • 7-11-Dustin-Martin.jpg Almost there

    After years of toiling in the minor leagues, Dustin Martin can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
    Rising through the ranks of the minor league system all the way from Rookie League, the former Sam Houston outfielder is playing some of his best baseball these days and will play in Wednesday’s Triple-A All-Star Game in Allentown Pa., which will be televised at 6 p.m. on the MLB Network.

    July 10, 2010 1 Photo

  • Gallant shining again in Cape Cod League

    Maybe, just maybe, on the mound closing games is where Dallas Gallant needs to be if he’s going to make a name for himself.
    For the second summer in a row, the Sam Houston State pitcher has performed marvelously when he finishes games for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, a member of the distinguished Cape Cod Baseball League.

    July 9, 2010

  • Bearkats enjoy banner year in classroom

    With the release of grade point averages for the more than 400 Bearkats participating in varsity sports, plus the announcement by the Southland Conference office of the annual Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll, the 2009-10 season goes in the books as another banner academic year for Sam Houston State University.

    June 25, 2010

  • Belcher, Vilardi golf tournaments help rival football programs

    Golfers in the Huntsville area can help the football programs at both Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin, two longtime rivals that soon will be adding new excitement to their annual “Battle of the Piney Woods” when they kick off this fall at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

    June 17, 2010

  • Kelly ready for NCAA golf regional

    When Sam Houston’s Scott Kelly tees off Thursday in the NCAA South Central Regional men’s golf tournament, his goal will be simple. He wants to become the first Bearkat golfer to earn a spot in the national tournament.
    “As an at-large entry, it’s difficult to advance but it’s not out of the question,” Kelly said. “I’m going into the tournament with high expectations and will give it my best shot.”

    May 19, 2010

  • Dreaming about a trip to state Dreaming big

    His mind has been working overtime. Huntsville senior Quenntin Tucker has spent the past two weeks preparing for the Class 4A Region III track meet.
    Tucker practices the discus by day, then dreams about it at night. Physically and mentally, he’s ready for the big meet.
    “I had a dream about this,” Tucker said last week during a short break from practice. “In the dream I finished second in our region, then I finished second at state.
    “I woke up that morning smiling.”

    May 1, 2010 1 Photo

  • Hot hitter Same old story

    The Bearkats must’ve felt as if they had a little bit of déjà vu.
    For the second straight Saturday, the Bearkats used a monster inning to climb out of a huge hole only to see it slip away.
    This time, it was Stephen F. Austin, which rallied for five runs in the final two innings and held off Sam Houston for a 14-13 win.

    May 1, 2010 1 Photo

  • What a catch! UCA has Bearkat softball team on ropes

    The Bearkats saw the light dim on their Southland Conference tournament aspirations Saturday afternoon.
    Desperately in need of a series win to gain ground in the chase for the sixth and final seed, the Sam Houston State softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Central Arkansas.

    May 1, 2010 1 Photo